植物根构型特性与磷吸收效率

植物根构型，即根系在生长介质中的空间造型和分布，与磷吸收效率密切相关；认识植物根构型，可为植物磷效率的遗传改良提供依据。长期以来，人们试图定量描述植物根构型，确立一个能客观全面地描述根系三维立体构型的综合指标。试验指出，植物主要通过向地性变化和根冠之间的碳源分配来改变根构型, 从而影响磷吸收效率；根系向地性变化可由缺磷等因素所诱导，且存在着一定的遗传变异性。有证据表明，根构型对低磷胁迫的适应性变化是受基因调控的一个生理过程，其中乙烯可能是一种重要的生理调节物质。迄今已在一些植物上定位到了部分控制根构型的数量性状座位，为该性状的分子生物学改良提供了基础。随着现代技术的进展，植物根构型研究将取得更大的突破。     

光周期和温度对大猿叶虫滞育后成虫生物学特性的影响

大猿叶虫Colaphellus bowringiBaly是我国十字花科蔬菜上的一种重要害虫,以成虫在土壤中越冬和越夏,滞育发生主要受温度和光周期调节。本文就光周期和温度对滞育后成虫生物学特性的影响进行了研究。结果表明,在25℃下,光周期（L14∶D10和L12∶D12）对成虫滞育后的存活率、寿命、日平均产卵量、总产卵量均无显著影响。在长光照（L14∶D10）下,温度18℃、22℃和25℃）对滞育后成虫的生物学特性具有明显的影响;随温度的降低,总产卵量呈下降趋势,平均产卵量显著降低,雌虫滞育后寿命显著延长,18℃下少数个体能被诱导再次滞育。     

中成药序贯疗法治疗肾虚血瘀型月经过少84例疗效观察

目的：观察中成药补肾益脑丸、经舒颗粒序贯疗法治疗肾虚血瘀型月经过少84例的临床疗效。方法：采用中成药序贯疗法按照月经周期（经后期、经间期、经前期、月经期）治疗本病,经后期服用补肾益脑丸,经间期服用补肾益脑丸和经舒颗粒,经前期、月经期服用经舒颗粒,3个月为一疗程。结果：共治疗84例,总有效率92.8%。结论：本方法对肾虚血瘀型月经过少具有补肾益精、养血调经的功效。     

The central Siberian origin for native American Y chromosomes.

Y chromosomal DNA polymorphisms were used to investigate Pleistocene male migrations to the American continent. In a worldwide sample of 306 men, we obtained 32 haplotypes constructed with the variation found in 30 distinct polymorphic sites. The major Y haplotype present in most Native Americans was traced back to recent ancestors common with Siberians, namely, the Kets and Altaians from the Yenissey River Basin and Altai Mountains, respectively. Going further back, the next common ancestor gave rise also to Caucasoid Y chromosomes, probably from the central Eurasian region. This study, therefore, suggests a predominantly central Siberian origin for Native American paternal lineages for those who could have migrated to the Americas during the Upper Pleistocene.     

Artifactual FA dimers mimic FAHFA signals in untargeted metabolomics pipelines

FA esters of hydroxy FAs (FAHFAs) are lipokines with extensive structural and regional isomeric diversity that impact multiple physiological functions, including insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. Because of their low molar abundance, FAHFAs are typically quantified using highly sensitive LC-MS/MS methods. Numerous relevant MS databases house in silico-spectra that allow identification and speciation of FAHFAs. These provisional chemical feature assignments provide a useful starting point but could lead to misidentification. To address this possibility, we analyzed human serum with a commonly applied high-resolution LC-MS untargeted metabolomics platform. We found that many chemical features are putatively assigned to the FAHFA lipid class based on exact mass and fragmentation patterns matching spectral databases. Careful validation using authentic standards revealed that many investigated signals provisionally assigned as FAHFAs are in fact FA dimers formed in the LC-MS pipeline. These isobaric FA dimers differ structurally only by the presence of an olefinic bond. Furthermore, stable isotope-labeled oleic acid spiked into human serum at subphysiological concentrations showed concentration-dependent formation of a diverse repertoire of FA dimers that analytically mimicked FAHFAs. Conversely, validated FAHFA species did not form spontaneously in the LC-MS pipeline. Together, these findings underscore that FAHFAs are endogenous lipid species.  However, nonbiological FA dimers forming in the setting of high concentrations of FFAs can be misidentified as FAHFAs. Based on these results, we assembled a FA dimer database to identify nonbiological FA dimers in untargeted metabolomics datasets.     

A commingling analysis of quantitative neuromuscular performance in a Kansas Mennonite community

The method of commingling analysis is applied to distributions of six quantitative neuromuscular traits. Results show that only two of these traits may be described by the single normal distribution commonly associated with quantitative variables. The remaining four traits show significant skewness which is best accounted for by a mixture of three component distributions. The pattern of commingling found suggests the presence of a major (megaphenic) effect operating in these traits. Further, evidence is found which links the major effect in three of the four commingled traits to a single process which may be related to neurological control. The etiology of the major effect (i.e., whether genetic or environmental) cannot be determined from commingling analysis, but some suggestions are offered based upon the nature of the traits themselves and the major effects.     

Two human relaxin genes are on chromosome 9.

We have recently cloned two different human relaxin gene sequences. One of these (H1) was isolated from a human genomic clone bank and the other (H2) from a cDNA library prepared from human pregnant ovarian tissue. Southern gel analysis of the relaxin genes within the genomes of several unrelated individuals showed that all genomes contained both relaxin genes. Hence it is unlikely (p less than 0.001) that the two relaxin gene sequences are alleles. Rather, it is probable that there are two relaxin genes within the human genome. It is likely that relaxin and insulin genes have evolved from a common ancestral gene by gene duplication, since structural similarities between insulin and relaxin are evident at both the peptide and gene level. To investigate the evolutionary relationship between the two human relaxin genes and the insulin gene, we have determined the chromosomal position of the relaxin genes using mouse/human cell hybrids. We found that the human insulin and relaxin genes are on different chromosomes. Both human relaxin genes are located on the short arm region of chromosome 9.     

Supercritical fluid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array-electrochemical detection of signature redox compounds from sand and soil samples

A supercritical fluid extraction procedure and a chromatographic separation/detection method were developed for the detection of Earth-based microorganisms. After microbes in a sand or a soil sample were hydrolyzed in a diluted NH(4)OH/acetone solution, several redox compounds from bacteria could be effectively extracted with trimethylamine-modified supercritical CO(2) at 35 degrees C and 300 atm. These signature redox-active compounds were separated by a reversed-phase HPLC column in an ion-pair mode and then monitored with a diode array detector and an electrochemical detector. The analytical results demonstrated the feasibility of using the reported techniques to detect the chemical signature of life in barren desert sand samples.